


About Damn Time

by heartheldhostage



Series: Friendship [1]
Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 03:39:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2009532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartheldhostage/pseuds/heartheldhostage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Audrey needs her friends after a bad day at work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	About Damn Time

Audrey walked into her apartment and threw her keys on the table beside the door. After freshening up in the bathroom, which included grabbing a quick shower and changing into sweat pants and a flannel shirt, she stood in the kitchen debating on whether to have booze or coffee.

She rolled her eyes at the knock on the door, but went to answer it. She smiled a tight smile upon seeing Duke with a thermos and a bottle. She stood back to let him in.

“I saw the look on your face when you got home. Figured you wouldn't be able to make up your mind so I brought coffee _and_ booze,” He said and kissed the side of her head as he passed her.

“It's truly frightening how well you know me,” she grinned.

Duke poured the coffee, spiked it, and brought hers to her where she sat on the couch. She leaned her head against his shoulder once he settled beside her.

“That bad a day, huh” He asked as he slipped his arm around her shoulder.

“Worse. We lost a kid today. His mom's Trouble activated after a fender bender and their car filled with water. Her seat belt stuck and kept her from getting to him in the backseat. The car was full when we arrived. The paramedics saved her, but her son...”

“Damn, Audrey. I'm sorry.” Duke rested his cheek against the top of her head.

“It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I didn't get there in time.”

They'd been through this before. Audrey felt personally responsible for all the Troubled in Haven, even the ones she didn't know about. Duke had given up trying to make her see reason. He just held her tight and let her work through it herself.

She sighed with frustration when there was another knock at the door. She figured it was one of the Gull employees needing Duke back downstairs, and she wasn't ready to give up his comforting embrace yet. Duke got up and answered the door.

Nathan was surprised to see that it was Duke who answered his knock. “I can come back later,” he said as he started to leave.

“Nathan,” Audrey called out, “come on in here.”

Nathan came in and sat beside Audrey. Duke returned to the couch and sat on her other side.

“I just came to see how you're holding up,” Nathan said softly.

“I'm not,” she replied honestly. “Duke's the one doing the heavy lifting right now.”

“How about a drink, Nate,” Duke suggested before Nathan could make some snide remark. “Had to have been a rough day for you, too.”

Nathan searched Duke's face for any sign of mockery and, finding none, nodded his head. “Yeah, it was pretty bad. A drink would be nice.”

When Duke had Nathan's drink ready and had returned to his seat, Audrey returned her head to his shoulder and reached out to hold Nathan's hand. Duke put his arm back around Audrey and rested his hand on Nathan's shoulder.

Nathan saw Duke's hand, but, for the first time in a very long time, he felt it, too. He didn't say anything. His only reaction was to move closer to the others. They sat that way for nearly two hours, only moving to refill their drinks.

Nathan noticed that Audrey had fallen asleep and sat up. “Should we carry her to bed? You have to be sore from sitting for so long,” Nathan said.

“No, I'm fine. Let her rest. You should lie your stubborn ass back over here, too.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “I don't need physical comfort, Duke. You should know that. You've always reminded me of it enough.”

Duke looked at Nathan earnestly. “Everyone needs a friend, Nate, so shut the hell up and let me be your friend tonight.”

To Duke's surprise, Nathan leaned back against Audrey and within reach of his hand. Duke put his hand back on Nathan's shoulder without hesitation and squeezed gently. He also felt Nathan jerk in surprise. “If I didn't know better, I'd say you felt that, Nate.”

Nathan looked at him over Audrey's head and answered, “I...I did.”

“What?” Duke was truly surprised now.

“I felt it. I felt it earlier when you first put you hand on my shoulder. I've felt it ever since.”

Duke eased himself into a position to see Nathan better. “Nate? How?”

“I don't know. Maybe because of Audrey. Maybe because we're both touching her.”

“Nate...”

Nathan leaned over and kissed him. Duke, hesitantly at first, returned the kiss. He wrapped his hands in Nathan's hair and sighed softly.

“Why do you do this to me, Duke? When I can feel, you're here. When I'm Troubled, you leave.”

Duke stared at Nathan. “You push me away, Nate. You shut down and won't let me in. You withdraw from everyone and everything when you're Troubled. And I feel like...I feel like I'm taking advantage of you when you can't feel me,” Duke sighed.

Nathan kissed Duke again. He pulled his lips away, but rested his forehead on Duke's. “I never meant to pull away. I didn't even realize I was doing it. I'm sorry for that. I just thought you didn't want to be with some freak who couldn't feel.”

“You are a freak, Nate, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with your Trouble.” Duke caressed Nathan's cheek to take thing sting from his words. “You're too damned afraid to trust, too damned afraid opening up, of being hurt. I haven't seen you trust anyone since your mother died...until Audrey, that is. You trust her completely. And if you don't think that feels like a kick to the nuts for me, then you don't know me at all.”

Nathan looked at the woman sleeping between them. “Audrey has never known me without my Trouble. She has no reference of comparison to see what a freak I am. She accepts me for who I am now. Who I was before makes no difference to her.”

“You really think it makes a difference to me, Nate? You said I keep leaving. I couldn't keep leaving if I didn't keep keep coming back. I've never wanted to be anywhere but with you.”

Nathan kissed Duke again, long, slow, passionate, until neither of them could breathe. “You do keep coming back, don't you?” Nathan said as if just realizing it. “Why do you come back when I keep pushing you away?”

“Because I love you, you moron.”Duke grinned as he kissed Nathan again.

“I love you, too,” Nathan said breathlessly.

“Well, it's about damn time. Can we go to bed now? My legs are getting stiff,” Audrey said.

Nathan and Duke were shocked. She sat up and looked at each of them and laughed at the looks on their faces. “Did you really think I didn't already know? I'm a detective, you jackasses.”

Duke and Nathan grinned at each other. Audrey stood, pulled them to their feet, and walked to the bed. The three of them stretched out on the bed with Nathan in the middle. Audrey took the side near the kitchen, making sure to keep her leg against Nathan. She couldn't help sneaking peeks as her best friends became reacquainted after all these years. _Damn, they're hot_ , she thought.

“I am so in the middle of that next time,” Audrey said as Duke and Nathan curled together, exhausted, smiling, and satisfied.

“Damn right,” her boys said in unison.


End file.
